ADHD Assessments for Adults
What is ADHD?
The acronym stands for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. It is a common neurotype that begins in childhood. People with ADHD have significant strengths as well as challenges. Understanding more about your neurotype enables you to manage your life in the best way.
Why get an ADHD assessment with us?
If you are in your 30s or older, you may remember the stigma involved in receiving an ADHD diagnosis when we were kids. Twenty years ago there was a very different understanding of ADHD, what it is and how it affects people. The diagnosis was only considered for young people who were really struggling in school or had significant behavioural issues, and there was little understanding of how ADHD presents in girls, or how it affects adults.
This means that for many of us, the suspicion that we may have ADHD has come much later, perhaps when our own children were diagnosed, or when we have faced challenges in work or higher education. And that leaves us asking questions about whether the diagnosis fits, and if so, what that means for us, both in the present and the future.
Going through a formal ADHD assessment process as an adult at the Northwest Psychology Practice means that you will get some answers to these questions. Our goal is to take the time with you to understand the ways your difficulties are affecting your current life, and also the ways it has impacted you in the past. We place a strong emphasis on giving lots of resources and helpful information during our feedback session, so that if you are diagnosed with ADHD you can understand why you’ve been given the diagnosis, what ADHD actually is, and how you can use this information to improve things in your life.
FAQ
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For the ADHD assessment we rely primarily on the clinical interview with you. We will spend several hours with you, asking you in detail about your experience both as a child and currently. In addition we will:
Ask you to complete a number of screening questions for ADHD, autism, mental health conditions, executive dysfunction and masking and more.
Ask an informant (someone who knows you well) to complete some questionnaires about you.
Your psychologist will analyze this information to form a diagnosis.
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The feedback session is probably the most important part of the assessment process. Based on the findings of the assessment, your psychologist will talk with you about your specific strengths and difficulties, as well as how these things have affected you, both in the past and currently.
Your psychologist will spend time providing you with a detailed understanding of the features of ADHD and how your issues relate to these features. She will also talk with you about the kinds of supports available and how these supports might help.
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Yes, your psychologist will provide you with a brief report stating your diagnosis and the reasons why the diagnosis was reached. It will also include detailed recommendations and resources. This will be sufficient for you to use in communicating with other people such as your health care team or your workplace. If you require a comprehensive report there is an additional cost involved.
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The total cost of the assessment typically varies between $1400 and $1680. Please note that this approximation is the cost before any eligible rebates are applied, and the complexity of your situation will influence the overall total cost.
The assessment usually involves 3-3.5 hours of face-to-face assessment and feedback which costs $280 per hour. The exact number of face-to-face hours may vary depending on your needs. You may be eligible for a rebate for the face to face assessment and feedback sessions.
There is also a fixed cost for the indirect work and report writing of $560. These two costs make up your total.
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If you are primarily seeking an ADHD diagnosis because you are interested in trialling medication, then yes it is probably better to start with a consultation with a medical professional such as your GP or a psychiatrist. (As psychologists, we we are unable to prescribe medication). If you have an assessment with us first, it is likely that your medical professional will still want to conduct their own assessment, which will take additional time and expense.
However, for many adults, the goal is not simply to trial medication, but to understand their neurotype more fully and to develop different ways of coping and being. You may already have been diagnosed by a medical professional but still find yourself wondering how the diagnosis relates to you and what it means for your life. In this case, having an assessment with our psychologist may fill the missing gaps.